Loving the Orphans

Loving the Orphan: Aparo Kevin witnessed terrible things after she was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). She watched as family members were killed, homes burned and her peers abducted. She struggled to find hope in such tragic circumstances, but rather than giving up, she found purpose in caring for others. On one fateful day, the LRA group that she was being held captive by was ordered to attack a house near their camp. Upon reaching the house, they abducted a young woman and her two daughters. Kevin’s job was to grab the two children while the soldiers harassed the mother. As they set the hut ablaze, Kevin saw an opportunity to save the children. She grabbed the girls and ran into the bush carrying them to safety away from the LRA. Attempts to reunite the children with their mother proved to be futile, and in the end they received word that she had been killed. Rather than shying away from the reality of her new circumstances, Kevin made a commitment to care for the children as if they were her own. Having been orphaned herself, she knew it was not an option for the children to grow up without a mother. This was no easy task particularly because she had to support her younger siblings and aging grandparents as well. In October 2011, we were introduced to Kevin by one of our local Ugandan partners. After hearing Kevin’s story, we knew she would be an excellent fit for the program. From day one, she took full advantage of the opportunity to change her life at KKUganda. She is an amazing example of how women use what they gain in the program to help their family members. Kevin goes above what is required of her, and pays for her younger siblings and her two adopted daughters to go to school. She is leveraging the agriculture training she received at KKU to invest in an agriculture business that feeds the family. The bananas, cassava and mangos that they don’t eat are sold at the local market to provide them with more income. When asked what change she is most proud of, she simply replies, “Brain power. The has helped me achieve mental stability. I now have a vast knowledge that I am knowingly and unknowingly applying in everyday life. The sky is my limit and I must say that my family will never be the same again.” Send Kevin an encouraging note by visiting her profile page.